Shearing machine



Sept. 15, 1942. c. H. BROOKES 2,296,230

' SHEARING MACHINE 7 Filed April 23, 1941 23 2 Z7 '20 my. 6'

MWQWW Patented Sept. 15, 1942 SHEARING MACHINE Cyril Henry Brookes, Sydney, New South Wales,

Australia, s g r to Chicag lexible. Shaft Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of jlllinois Application April. 23, 1941', Serial No. 389,907 In Australia May 11, .1 40

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the reciprocating .cutter bars or driving forks of sheep shearing machines which are well known in the art.

These driving forks travel at very high speed and a result of their rapid change of motion there is a decided kick or thrust at the end of each stroke which is accentuated by the fact that it is usual practice to provide a lug or raised portion on the fork to receive the end of the pressure applying or tension pin, at some distance above the body of the driving fork; and as a result of which the said driving fork is given a diagonal thrust at each end of the reciprocation of the said fork which sets up a decided vibration in the handpiece.

The present invention consists of means whereby this kick at the end of each reciprocating stroke .of the fork is avoided.

According to the present invention the driving fork is entirely re-designed. It has at one end a bifurcated recess adapted to receive a crank pin, and at its opposite end has two portions to receive fork yokes for applying pressure to the cutter. The two portions are preferably parallel and are arranged so that the fork yokes will lie closer and more parallel to the cutter than was possible formerly. The lower portion of the yoke end of the fork is preferably removed so as to give a flattened effect at the front of the fork, and allow the latter to come closer to the cutter.

At two intermediate parts the fork is provided with the pivotal means, and the means for receiving applied pressure for transference by the fork yokes to the cutter. The pivotal means for the driving fork and the means for receiving the applied pressure upon the fork are such that lines passing axially through them respectively are parallel, in order to avoid thrust upon the pivotal means. To this end the seats for the pressure receiving means and the pivotal means are not disposed parallel with the fork yoke, but are disposed diagonally with respect thereof or at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the driving fork.

This arrangement also enables vibration of the driving fork to be reduced to a minimum by disposing the points of contact of the fork yokes, the means for taking the pressure thrust, the pivotal means for the driving fork and the central position of the bifurcated driving recess, all substantially in the same longitudinal plane. This results in a considerably flattened cutter bar or fork which will be considerably less likely to develop vibration than the present known forms of driving forks.

In order that the invention maybe more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure. 1: is .a sectional elevation. illustrating the present. invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of a shearing machine fork made in accordance with the present invention.

The handpiece [0, portion of which is shown in Figure 1 is of well known construction and need not, for the purpose of describing the present invention, be explained in detail. The said handpiece It] supports the comb ll upon which a cutter I2 is seen.

The tensioning means which comprises the tension pin [3, its upper bearing M, the screwed sleeve l5 and the adjusting cap l6, are also of known construction and are illustrated merely to explain the present invention.

To enable the cutter bar, or driving fork H, as it is often called, to operate in accordance with the present invention it is shown mounted upon a spherical bearing member l3 disposed between a seat l9 carried by the handpiece and aseat 20 carried by the said fork IT. The driving fork ll, at its right hand end as seen in Figures 1 and 2 has a recess 2| which is engaged by the usual operating crank pin.

The left hand end of the driving fork I1 is adapted to receive fork yokes 22 of which one is seen in Figure 1. These fork yokes 22 have a parallel portion 23 and a tapered portion 24 received in corresponding portions 25 and 26 in the left hand end of the driving fork H. The fork yokes 22 engage the cutter I2 in the usual way and the under portion of the fork yokes 22 and also the under portion of the driving fork l1 adjacent thereto are cut away in such manner that the fork yokes 22 and the left hand end of the driving fork I1 are enabled to function as close as practicable to the cutter.

The tension pin 13 is disposed at its lower end in a socket bearing 21 secured in or formed as part of the driving fork I! at a position between the fork yokes 22 and the bearing member [8 of the driving fork H.

The disposition of the tension pin 13 with relation to the bearing member I8 is such that respective lines 28 and 29 drawn axially through these parts I3 and I8 are parallel to one another in the plane seen in Figure 1. The invention is further characterised in that the bearing member IS, the point of application of pressure between the tension pin l3 and its socket bearing 21, and the face of the cutter [2 where it is engaged by the fork yoke tips 30 are all in,

substantially the same horizontal plane as indicated by the line 3!.

I claim:

1. A sheep shearing machine handpiece having a comb and a cutter, a driving fork pivoted on the handpiece and provided on its forward portion with fork yokes each having tips in contact with the cutter for applying the driving and tensioning forces, and a tension pin inclined downwardly and forwardly and having at its lower end a spherical bearing member seated in a socket on the driving fork intermediate the pivot mounting thereof and its forward end, the pivot mounting of the driving fork comprising a spherical bearing member seated in a complemental bearing socket on the handpiece and a complemental bearing socket on the driving fork, the longitudinal center axis of said spherical bearing member and its bearing sockets being parallel with the longitudinal center axis of said tension pin.

2. A sheep shearing machine handpiece as set forth in claim 1, in which the parts are constructed and arranged so that a plane intersecting said yoke tips and the center of said spherical bearing members also intersects the thrust bearing between the lower end of the tension pin and the driving yoke.

3. A sheep shearing machine handpiece having a comb and a cutter, a driving fork pivotally mounted to oscillate laterally and having means at its forward end connected with the cutter to apply the driving and tensioning forces, and a tension pin inclined downwardly and forwardly and having at its lower end a thrust bearing against the driving fork, the pivot mounting for the driving yoke comprising a spherical bearing member, a lower bearing member on the handpiece having a bearing socket in which the low er portion of said spherical member is seated, and an upper bearing member on the driving fork having a bearing socket in which the upper portion of said spherical member is seated, said bearing members being coaxial and with their common axis inclined forwardly and downwardly parallel with said tension pin, the adjacent sides of said upper and lower bearing members being in planes at right angles to their said common axis.

CYRIL HENRY BROOKES. 

